Runoff to water streams of nutrients such as phosphorus increases the intensity of algal blooms. The ... More picture above shows an aerial view of green water during a harmful algal bloom (HAB) on 25 August 2022 in Lake Elsinore, California. The city closed the lake to all activities, including fishing, swimming and boating, due to the danger of serious illness or death in humans and animals. California is experiencing some of the worst HAB outbreaks in the nation, with an increase of more than 464 percent in epidemics in the past five years. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)Getty Images Phosphorus is a nutrient most people rarely think about. Yet it touches almost every aspect of our lives—the food we eat and the water we drink. One of its most common uses is in the form of fertilizers used for agriculture, but it is also naturally found in manure. In reasonable quantities, it helps plants grow and supports the ecosystem, but phosphorous overuse is a menace. Globally, phosphorous use is expected to double, overshooting the safe planetary boundary. The current global phosphorus use is 17 million tons per year and is expected to reach 32.5 million tons, far exceeding the safe global planetary boundary of 11 million tons annually. Crossing this boundary puts environmental stability and food security at risk. Most fertilizers used for agriculture contain phosphorus derived from phosphate rocks. Due to the overuse of such fertilizers, our planet’s natural phosphorus cycle is under pressure and cannot absorb as much. One significant consequence is eutrophication—when far too many chemicals, including phosphorus, runoff from farms into waterways. This situation causes an overgrowth of algae, which prevents oxygen from reaching marine life. Addressing this problem is a costly affair. For instance, it costs the US economy $2.2 billion annually and England and Wales in the UK $105–160 million annually. Algal blooms are becoming more frequent with rising temperatures. In recent years, water bodies in US states like Oregon—such as the Willamette River—have developed thick layers of green algal blooms every summer. Last month, lawmakers asked for $1 million to fund a university project that would stop toxic algal blooms through engineering solutions. However, this does not address the root of the problem—which is cutting the overuse. Despite the urgency of addressing the phosphorus problem, bringing sustainability to this supply chain hasn’t received as much attention. Discussions on this chemical are often clubbed with other chemicals or nutrients, such as nitrogen, although there is a uniqueness to these chemicals. For instance, phosphorous is a finite natural reserve and can be recycled. There is thus a need to raise targeted awareness and debate about phosphorus. With that intention, we look at some things that must be done to ensure future phosphorus sustainability. 1. Agriculture And Food Industry Must Address The Phosphorus Overuse Agriculture and the food industry are among the biggest consumers of phosphorus, and it is vital to change the status quo in this industry. Improving phosphorus use efficiency in farms is essential, which means addressing the problem of applying too much phosphorous through fertilizers or manure and ensuring the lost phosphorous through the waste streams is recycled back to farms. This was one of the key recommendations of a report, Our Phosphorus Future: Towards Global Phosphorus Sustainability, in which over 100 scientists explored this topic in great detail. Around 85% is used for fertilizers, 10% for animal feed, and 2–3% for food additives. Currently, most regulations that address phosphorus runoff cover sources that can be easily identified, such as discharge pipes. However, rules are loose for non-point sources —runoff that cannot be attributed to a single source. Such sources often include runoff from fields or surrounding areas to flow into the water streams. Even when stringent regulations are in place in some countries, sometimes enforcement remains weak. Last year, a subsidiary of Cargill, a company that produces large-scale poultry, was sued alongside other poultry companies for the pollution caused by the manure from 23 million chickens that spread on the land in the catchment area near River Wye in the UK. The manure produced by such big companies is by no means small. The largest food companies produce manure equivalent amounts to entire countries; for instance, according to an estimate, Tyson, a big livestock company in the US, makes as much manure as 431 million people, roughly the size of the USA. While most of these companies conduct water quality assessments, they are not thorough enough, as they do not include animal and feed supply chains, according to Maria, a technical specialist at FAIRR Initiative, an investor network that raises awareness of the material risks and opportunities in the global food sector. At the same time, it is essential to note that some regions still do not have access to enough phosphorus. Data from a global analysis of agricultural inputs shows regional variations in phosphorus use on farms worldwide. Some countries also have a phosphorus deficit, including many countries in sub-Saharan Africa. According to the above report cited above, one in seven farmers cannot access or afford phosphorous fertilizers, reducing their ability to maintain food security and livelihoods. 2. Governments Must Strengthen Regulations For Phosphorus Efficiency The other side of tackling phosphorous overuse is improving its efficiency— and that is a problem that can be solved. Some farmers in countries like India and China are building phosphorus reserves in their farms in recent decades. Such reserves enable them to grow subsequent crops on the same land without further phosphorus-based fertilizer application. To improve efficiency in phosphorous recycling, the Government should reach a consensus on an international agreement. The agreement should also include ambitious targets to recover and recycle nutrients from livestock manure, wastewater, and industrial waste streams. Although there are international agreements supporting the sustainable use of chemicals—such as nitrogen—a similar deal for phosphorus is much needed but not yet in place. During the fourth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly, over 20 resolutions were passed, many of which had implications for phosphorus. However, a direct agreement explicitly focused on this chemical is needed. Such an agreement is also needed to help address future concerns about food security linked to limited phosphorus reserves. Most phosphorus reserves are concentrated in a handful of countries, creating a problematic situation for future food security—just five countries account for 85% of the world's phosphorous reserves. Morocco, China, Algeria, Syria, and Brazil are the top countries with phosphate rock reserves. It is estimated that 85% of phosphate mined from phosphate rocks produces fertilizers. 3. Scaling Up The Market For Recycled Phosphorus Products Is Crucial Unfortunately, phosphorus resources recovery efforts have not scaled up—and this is where the private sector has a role. Some startups are working in this space, but momentum is now needed. Just a month ago, a woman-led startup in the UK won an Innovate UK Women in Innovation Award for her role in setting up a project that moves phosphorus from lakes and rivers—where it causes damage—to farmlands where it can be used for crops. Making recovered phosphorus commercially viable requires patience. Experts in the report cited above argue that recovered phosphorus cannot be compared with the same yardstick as other substitutes especially on the cost point. Currently, the market is trying to address the challenge of producing enough volume and maintaining a uniform quality. Until this nascent market for recovered phosphorus becomes more mature, all stakeholders in the ecosystem need to share the responsibility. There is also potential to share the recovery cost in more developed markets. As we consider a sustainable future, it is essential that phosphorus overuse which can significantly impact our planet’s health, marine life, and water streams so much—receives targeted attention. A sustainable phosphorus future requires action now.

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Despite global slowdowns in new car sales, there seems to be no slowing down the automotive aftermarket which is expected to cross 2bn vehicles on the road (includes passenger cars and commercial vehicles) and become a trillion dollar industry by 2035, a finding of a new study on Future of Automotive Aftermarket released by Markets and Markets. It’s evolving rapidly, driven by a surge in vehicle parc, average vehicle age, miles driven per year, and, of course, the increasing demand for sustainability practices. By 2030—and that’s just 4 years away—the global passenger car parc is expected to reach 1.62 billion units! To put that in perspective, with the total population expected to be somewhere around 8.5 billion, it's 1 vehicle for every 5 people on earth! Electric vehicles are expected to reach about 10-12% of the global vehicle parc by 2030, up from ~4-5% in 2024. This will lead to an exponential increase in the demand for specialized parts—such as batteries and regenerative braking systems. Aside from vehicle parc, connectivity and e-commerce will also play a major role in driving the aftermarket. In terms of growth markets, China is going to be an interesting market with car parc reaching 458mn vehicles by 2030 and the parc ageing (currently, one third of the vehicles are over 6 years old), providing opportunities for the independent aftermarket channel. Car Repairgetty Traction and Torque: The New Aftermarket Boom While the future may or may not be electric, there’s no denying the fact that EV sales are skyrocketing in some economies. The rise of EVs brings a whole new set of opportunities—and challenges—to the aftermarket. Due to their heavier weight and instant torque, tires on EVs wear out sooner than traditional ICE cars—up to 10,000 km faster—leading to quicker tire replacement and driving the demand for durable, specialized rubber designed to handle the extra strain. Total tire Aftermarket industry is expected to grow from USD 96 billion in 2024 to over USD 115 billion by 2030. On the other hand, the rise of EVs has tempered the demand for engine oil replacement to a certain extent, as EVs do not use traditional lubes. However, demand for engine oil remains strong as ICE vehicles require engine oil replacement every 7,500-10,000 km. With revenues of USD 55 billion in 2024, the engine oil aftermarket is expected to reach USD 64 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 2.5% during the forecast period, also helped with the push from lubricant players like Shell & others to focus on premium branded products. Chart shows breakdown of how aftermarket parts are expected to grow over the forecast period. Global Light Vehicle Aftermarket Component DemandMarkets and Markets Wrenches to Widgets: The New Face of the Aftermarket Similar to other sectors, digitalization is changing the face of the automotive aftermarket as well. Everything from sales channels—you can now buy car parts from the comfort of your favorite couch if you so desire (and even on Amazon or eBay) —to revenue models and customer engagement has undergone a massive transformation. Some of today’s vehicles even offer OEM-backed predictive maintenance, beaming real-time data to mechanics and flagging issues before they become road hazards, shifting the industry to a data-driven, scalable, customer-centric model. Bosch, for instance, uses connected diagnostics to send real-time vehicle data to repair shops, while Tesla & Ford’s OEM telematics systems enable over-the-air (OTA) updates to fix software glitches, reducing the need for physical shop visits. Advancements such as these blend cutting-edge innovation with OEM infrastructure, reducing repair times and keeping vehicles rolling with minimal downtime. When it comes to e-commerce sales, digital convenience and rapid technological innovations have fueled growth in the aftermarket—global e-commerce sales of automotive parts are expected to grow from 5% in 2024 to almost 10% by 2030 as consumers increasingly bypass traditional brick-and-mortar shops for the convenience, variety, pricing, and delivery options that online portals offer. On-demand Services: Opportunities Beyond the Dealership Growth and innovation in the automotive industry have resulted in the evolution of new on-demand services such as fuel delivery, door-to-door servicing, roadside assistance, rescue charging for EVs, and even car washing. In the aftermarket, on-demand car wash services are carving a niche alongside traditional offerings like parts sales and repairs. The key trends driving the demand for car washing include integration with digital platforms, AI-driven systems and automated payment kiosks, premium packages with ceramic coatings and interior sanitization, and energy players partnering with car wash providers. Volvo, for example, has partnered with GoWashMyCar in the UK to offer mobile washing through its app, MobileWash, while Mopar, the aftermarket arm of Stellantis (previously Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), provides a variety of on-demand services, including 24/7 roadside assistance. Ford, too, partnered with Agero in 2024 to enhance its roadside assistance program across the US, focusing on EVs and traditional vehicles. On the other hand, major OEMs, too, have begun to offer various customer-centric services, such as Tesla’s mobile fleet service and BMW’s mobile and concierge-style pickup/drop-off service. These initiatives enhance customer satisfaction and give OEMs a competitive edge in a space where independents have long dominated, positioning them as full-lifecycle partners in vehicle ownership. Built to Last, Remanufactured to Lead! Remanufactured parts are previously used components brought back to OEM specs and standards. Such parts usually cost 30-40% less than new components while offering comparable quality and performance and are often backed by warranties. The demand for remanufactured automotive components is growing as consumers and businesses seek alternatives to high-priced OEM parts without compromising on quality. In North America, the US has a mature remanufactured parts market with robust distribution channels, strong customer awareness, clear government guidelines, and over 15,000 companies, while in Europe, Germany has strong remanufacturing capabilities, followed by the UK. Despite gradual acceptance by customers, remanufactured components have a higher penetration rate in some countries than others. For example, the penetration rate in the US and Europe is significantly higher than in India and China due to a lack of customer awareness about the benefits of these parts and the low price difference compared to new parts. Heavily remanufactured products include starters, turbochargers, transmissions, compressors, ECUs, and electronic parts in conventional ICE vehicles and could include batteries, e-motors, inverters, e-compressors, and DC-DC converters in EVs. The automotive remanufacturing market is expected to grow from USD 75.1 billion in 2024 to USD 120.4 billion by 2030 at a CAGR of 8.1%. Beyond OEMs: A New Era of Auto Services The Original Equipment Service (OES) channel is tied to automakers and their dealership networks, making it, well, to be honest, inconvenient in situations where time is of the essence. Imagine having your vehicle towed to an authorized dealership just to replace a sensor, leaving you stranded. And God forbid it happens in the midst of a long traveling tour or in a remote location hundreds of miles away from the dealership. Thankfully, the Independent Aftermarket (IAM) operates, well, independently, supplying parts, tools, and services through a diverse network of retailers, repair shops, and e-commerce platforms. IAM channels excel in components such as brakes, batteries, starters, alternators, AC compressors, and others and are divided into 3 categories—traditional warehouse distributors, retailers, and e-commerce portals. The US leads the IAM growth with traditional warehouse distributors, retailers, and e-commerce portals accounting for 40-45%, 30-35%, and 10-12%, respectively, mainly due to the massive vehicle fleet in the country, along with mature aftermarket infrastructure and an increasing consumer preference for independence from OEMs post-warranty. Mergers & Acquisitions to grow One key trend we will see is industry consolidation and integration. In M&A, we will see Tier 1 suppliers acquire other suppliers and distributors of auto parts acquire others within their region and globally to become international players. Private equity firms are increasingly targeting M&A in the automotive aftermarket, focusing on distributors and intermediaries due to their stable cash flows, consolidation potential and operational improvement opportunities. Conclusion In a world where the road never ends, the automotive aftermarket keeps you moving—whether it’s style, performance, or smart technology that drives you. From routine fixes to resplendent grandeur, each day more consumers rely on aftermarket options to be unique but now also for convenience. Be it traditional warehouse distributors, independent repair shops, or on-demand service providers; the aftermarket is evolving and growing, forcing OEMs to deepen their presence in the vehicle ownership cycle. By 2030, you can expect the aftermarket to be an integrated, eco-conscious, and customer-centric industry, leveraging AI, telematics, and circular economy principles to keep pace with a global vehicle parc exceeding 2 billion—ensuring that affordability, convenience, and reliability remain at the wheel of automotive care.

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Ever feel like you’re just going through the motions with others? Here’s how small acts of ... More cooperation can help your relationships thrive.getty As adults, building and maintaining meaningful connections can feel like an uphill battle. Between work, family and the constant juggle of daily responsibilities, finding the time and emotional energy to nurture relationships can seem impossible. Social circles often become smaller and it becomes all too easy to fall into a routine of just going through the motions, without forming the deeper connections we long for. Even if we do make the effort to meet new people, building those initial bonds can feel more daunting than ever. However, classical research shows that social support is essential for overall well-being. There are two key ways it can impact us: one is the “main effect” model, where simply having a strong social network improves mental and physical health. The other is the “buffering model,” which highlights how social support can protect us from the harmful effects of stress. While the significance of connection is clear, the reality of making and maintaining those connections is often more challenging. Finding common ground with new people, overcoming social barriers and sustaining those early bonds can be difficult, especially as life gets busier. But the good news is, you don’t need grand gestures to build closeness. Sometimes, it’s the smallest acts of kindness and cooperation that open the door to meaningful relationships. These altruistic gestures can create deeper connections and promote a cycle of mutual support. Here are two research-backed ways to help spark connections or deepen existing relationships through the power of altruism. 1. Bonding Through Coordinated Tasks When you work with others toward a shared goal, something special happens. There’s this natural feeling of connection that forms, whether it’s helping a friend move, playing a team sport or collaborating on a project. The effort of coordinating with each other creates a sense of togetherness, as you start to understand each other’s intentions and movements without needing to say much. This connection isn’t just about getting the task done, though. It often leads to something deeper, like wanting to help or support the other person more, even beyond the task at hand. You start to feel more connected and more willing to support one another. A 2017 study published in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience explored this idea using brain imaging to see how synchronized brain activity during coordinated tasks influences social bonds. Researchers found that when two people worked together on a task, their brains showed remarkable synchronization. Specifically, an area of the brain linked to understanding others lit up, suggesting they were mentally in sync with each other. This brain synchronization was tied to an increase in mutual prosocial behavior. The more in tune the participants were with each other during the task, the more likely they were to show kindness and cooperation afterward. This just goes to show how working together on something, even in a small way, can lead to stronger and more positive connections. Whether it’s strengthening existing bonds or forming new ones, incorporating small moments of shared effort can foster that same kind of alignment. Here are a few ways you can incorporate this into your relationships. Nurturing existing relationships. Try activities including collaborative creative projects (painting a mural, designing a scrapbook), shared wellness routines (yoga or group walks) or cooking a meal together. Building new bonds in professional or social settings. Seek out opportunities to collaborate in low-pressure, engaging ways. This could mean participating in a volunteer event where you and others work toward a common goal, tackling a group project at work with a spirit of curiosity rather than competition or brainstorming ideas with new colleagues to pave the way for deeper connections. Making new friends. Consider joining classes or communities where collaboration is part of the experience, like art workshops, fitness classes or volunteer groups. By simply showing up and engaging in these everyday collaborations, you’re creating space for deeper understanding and support to naturally unfold. So, whether you’re reconnecting with someone or meeting someone new, remember — it’s often the little things done together that lay the foundation for meaningful relationships. 2. Bonding Through Meaningful Favors When you think about ways to strengthen your relationships, asking for help might not be the first thing that comes to mind. It can feel uncomfortable or like you’re imposing. However, research suggests that asking for a favor can enhance the bond between you and others. The study touches on a fascinating psychological concept known as “amae,” which is a Japanese term referring to the desire to be indulged or dependent on others for emotional support or affection. It’s rooted in the idea that allowing oneself to rely on others and requesting help from them can strengthen the bond between individuals. In the experiment, both Japanese and American participants were asked to help a confederate (a person acting as part of the study, not a real participant) and in return, were measured for how they felt about the confederate after the interaction. The results showed that when participants were directly asked for help, they experienced an increase in liking toward the confederate, as well as a greater sense of closeness and a more sociable impression of them. This was a critical finding because it suggests that even though you may think of asking for help as a vulnerable act, it creates a sense of connection. The act of needing someone and showing vulnerability can encourage people to feel more positively about the requester. The sense of dependence and the act of helping, in this case, are mutually reinforcing: the person asking for help appreciates the support and the person giving it feels a sense of importance and appreciation, which creates a stronger emotional bond. So, instead of shying away from asking for support, consider how these small moments of vulnerability can serve as gentle bridges between you and the people in your life. When done sincerely and sparingly, these requests invite connection and signal trust — two powerful ingredients in any close relationship. Here are some thoughtful ways to use this in your day-to-day life: Ask a friend to review something you’ve written or created. Take a review of perhaps a post, a resume or even a message you’re unsure about. You can also involve them in your creative process, asking for feedback or ideas. This signals trust and appreciation, helping the other person feel that you value their opinion. Request help with something small but specific. It could be something as small as choosing between two outfits or picking a gift. People often love to weigh in and feel helpful. Let them know you appreciate their check-ins. If you’re having a tough day or feeling low, emotional support is a powerful connector. Invite someone to teach you something they’re good at. Even if it’s small, it only makes them feel seen, creating space for learning and a shared experience. The goal isn’t just to take, but to open a door to more meaningful interaction. As you practice this, you’ll find that asking genuinely and respectfully can lead to a deeper sense of connection that benefits both of you. It’s important to remember that relationships thrive on mutuality, so do not hesitate to offer help in return. It’s this gentle give-and-take that builds trust and emotional closeness over time. When you act from a place of sincerity and recognize the value in both giving and receiving, you’ll create lasting bonds that go far beyond surface-level interactions. Do you feel seen and supported? Take this science-backed test to find out how connected you feel to others: Social Connectedness Scale

The Future with AI is not happening to but because of us. We must walk and shape every step of the ... More way – to be in line with the values that make life desirable.getty The conversation surrounding artificial intelligence has long centered on the future of work – how AI will augment human capabilities, automate tasks, and necessitate new skills. However, as AI technology accelerates, particularly in developing increasingly autonomous "agentic" AI, the discourse must evolve urgently. It is time to confront a more complex and challenging question: not just the future of work but the future of life itself in a world where AI agents may perform a significant portion of tasks currently undertaken by humans. This shift demands fundamental rethinking of societal structures, purpose, and economic models. Recent developments underscore the urgency of this conversation. Companies like Anthropic are already considering safeguards against "rogue agents," a testament to these systems' growing autonomy and potential impact. More pointedly, new ventures are openly pursuing the displacement of human labor; Kortix AI aims to replace a substantial portion of the workforce, while Mechanize explicitly seeks to enable the "full automation of the economy." An Uncertain Future Does Not Prevent Us From Preparation While the scale and speed of this transformation remain subject to debate, the potential for widespread disruption to traditional employment is not a distant hypothetical – it is a scenario for which we must begin to prepare proactively, personally and professionally, individually and as a society. The World Economic Forum, among others, forecasts dramatic changes in the labor market due to automation and AI. We cannot wait until these changes manifest in practice. If AI agents can execute complex tasks, coordinate workflows, and learn autonomously at scale, what becomes of human labor as we know it? Millions could find their current roles obsolete. This presents not just an economic challenge but a societal one, requiring us to consider what individuals will do with their time and, crucially, how their lives will be financially sustained in a world less reliant on traditional employment. Addressing this requires a multi-dimensional approach, examining the potential impacts and necessary responses across different arenas: micro (individual), meso (community), macro (country), and meta (global). Micro: Navigating Individual Purpose And Adaptability At the individual level, the prospect of widespread job displacement raises existential questions. Work has provided income, identity, structure, and social connection for generations. If traditional employment diminishes, individuals must cultivate new sources of purpose and meaning. This might involve greater engagement in leisure, creative pursuits, lifelong learning, caregiving for family and community, or contributing to society in ways not currently classified or compensated as "work." The key for individuals will be adaptability and resilience. Now is the time to identify your strengths and quirky talents to curate a portfolio of uniquely human skills. This should include creativity, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, interpersonal communication, and complex problem-solving, as these will become quintessential. As humans and as professionals, we have to embrace continuous learning, not as a chore but as a journey of ongoing growth. This is not about competition with AI but an alliance in which humans can thrive by fulfilling their inherent potential. This won't happen automatically. It is up to humans to design the space and mindset to make that happen. The psychological transition from a work-centric identity will be a significant personal challenge for many. Meso: Fostering Resilient Communities Communities can play an essential role in buffering the effects of workforce automation by fostering a new sense of belonging and shared experience. As traditional employment centers potentially shrink, the importance of local networks and initiatives will grow. Neighborhoods may become hubs for new forms of social interaction, shared activities, and mutual support. This could involve strengthening local institutions like libraries, community centers and parks to repurpose them as learning creativity and social engagement spaces. Communities might explore initiatives focused on sustainability, local production, or community care networks that leverage human skills and foster social cohesion. Thinking about local needs that are inherently human-centric – such as elderly care, childhood education, or localized environmental stewardship – can reveal avenues for meaningful contributions outside the traditional market economy. Building substantial local social capital will be essential for community resilience in a changing world. Although it may be tempting for businesses to jump into the quest for efficiency and effectiveness in the long run, investing in employee well-being, cross-skilling and the deliberate design of hybrid teams will pay off. Ultimately, humans create values for humans via humans. Especially in the service industry, agentic AI can automate a lot, but it cannot create the human touch that makes unique businesses stand out. Macro: Rethinking National Economic And Social Structures At the national level, governments face the challenge of redesigning economic and social structures to support a population less reliant on traditional wages. A leading proposal in this context is Universal Basic Income. UBI schemes involve providing all citizens with regular, unconditional income and decoupling basic financial security from employment status. The rationale for UBI in an age of automation is straightforward: it could provide a safety net for displaced workers, ensure a basic standard of living, and potentially free individuals to pursue education, training, entrepreneurship, or other non-market valuable activities. Pilot programs and studies in various locations, from Finland to Stockton, California, have explored UBI's potential effects on poverty, health, and employment, offering valuable insights into its implementation challenges and benefits. A growing body of research compiled by organizations like the Basic Income Earth Network and the Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration shows that many of the arguments traditionally voiced by critics are not supported by evidence and that UBI overwhelmingly leads to increased quality of life, and meaningful occupation. However, to work at scale it will require significant policy debate regarding funding mechanisms (e.g., taxation on automated industries, carbon taxes, wealth taxes), the level of the basic income, and eligibility criteria. The best time to start these discussions was yesterday, the second best time is now. Beyond UBI, national strategies must reform education systems to prioritize hybrid intelligence, but also critical thinking, and human-centric skills. Investment in solid retraining programs for displaced workers will be necessary, focusing on areas less susceptible to automation or those involving human-AI collaboration. Rethinking social safety nets to be more flexible and less tied to traditional employment and potentially exploring universal basic services (guaranteeing access to healthcare, education, housing, etc.) alongside UBI are also crucial policy considerations. Regulatory frameworks for AI development and deployment are needed to balance innovation with societal well-being, to manage the pace of technological change in a way that builds rather than breaks society. Meta: Navigating Global Transitions And Inequality The transition to an AI-augmented or automated world will have deep global implications, potentially exacerbating existing inequalities between nations. Countries with advanced technological infrastructure may adapt more quickly, while those reliant on industries susceptible to automation could face significant economic disruption. Addressing this requires international cooperation on all fronts. Firstly, there is a need for ongoing global dialogue and potential regulatory frameworks concerning AI safety, ethics, and the management of widespread automation to prevent a global race to the bottom and ever-wider digital divides. Organizations like the OECD and the United Nations have begun to discuss the future of work, ethical implications and overall societal impacts of AI, highlighting the need for coordinated international responses. But seeing the slow nature of gigantic bureaucratic machines such as these, this is not enough to move beyond policy to practice. Secondly, there is a need to drastically reconsider global economic fairness. As wealth will be increasingly generated by automated systems, discussions about global wealth distribution, international aid and support for developing nations in navigating this transition must happen. The question of global redistribution with a holistic understanding of local needs is overdue. Not tackling this “glocal equation” now will backfire. Mass unemployment, an unstable geopolitical landscape and a decentralized communication ecosphere are explosive. The potential for global challenges like mass migration due to economic displacement also necessitates international foresight and cooperation. 4 Practical Steps To Chart A Course Forward If you are reading this, grappling with ways to get ready for this potential future, the M4 framework offers practical points for engagement and consideration: Micro: Begin exploring activities and interests that bring purpose and joy outside your current work. Invest in developing skills that are uniquely human or highly adaptable. Consider what a fulfilling life could look and feel like for you, independent of your job title. Meso: Engage with your local community. Participate in or support local initiatives. Consider how you can contribute to the well-being of your neighbors and local environment in ways that build connection and resilience. Macro: Stay informed about national policy debates surrounding AI, automation, UBI, and education reform. Engage with your elected representatives and advocate for policies to help your community and your country navigate this transition equitably. Meta: Learn about the global implications of AI and automation. Support international organizations working on ethical AI, global economic fairness, or humanitarian issues that these changes may impact. The Future Among AI Is Not Happening To But Because Of Us Individuals, communities, nations, and the global stage each have a role in ensuring that the future is one of shared prosperity, purpose, and well-being. The transition to a world where AI agents perform a wide range of tasks is an invitation to reshape human society and our individual lives. It is a call to rethink what we value and why. It is up to all of us to move the AI conversation beyond the future of work to the hereafter for life. The future is happening now and requires a proactive, imaginative and collaborative effort from all of us. That task cannot be delegated to ChatGTP & Co.

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In this week’s edition of InnovationRx, we look at the spread of both measles and disinformation about it, the DOJ going after medical journals, HHS policy changes on Covid vaccines and more. To get it in your inbox, subscribe here. Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly.TNS More than 624 cases of measles have been confirmed in Texas alone this year (through Tuesday), with around 800 confirmed cases across the country. Twenty-five states so far have seen cases of the disease this year, and the outbreak in Texas has been genetically linked to spread in both New Mexico and Kansas. But measles isn’t the only thing spreading: misinformation about the disease is, too, according to a new survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation. Republicans were particularly susceptible to this misinformation. For example, the survey found that while two-thirds of Democratic parents knew that measles was on the rise this year, only one-third of Republican parents did. The misinformation spread poses a challenge to public health efforts. There is no approved treatment for measles, making vaccination the best approach to controlling the disease. However, the survey found that 21% of Americans falsely believe that such vaccines cause autism, 16% believe the measles shot is more dangerous than the disease and 23% believe vitamin A can prevent measles infections, even as children in Texas have been hospitalized with vitamin A toxicity. Many of these beliefs have been espoused by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. In Kansas, 37 cases of measles have been reported since mid-March, and in an update on the disease yesterday, Governor Laura Kelly urged parents to vaccinate their children and blamed the anti-vaccination movement for exacerbating the problem. “Talk to your doctor. Ask questions. Get the facts and then make a plan,” she told Kansans. Trump’s DOJ Is Going After Medical Journals For Being Too WokeGetty Images In the Trump administration, even academic journals of medical research are being scrutinized for being too woke. On April 14, the peer-reviewed medical journal CHEST, which focuses on respiratory diseases and sleep medicine, received a letter from Edward Martin, Jr., the U.S. Attorney General for the District of Columbia, probing whether the publication is “partisan,” and asking a series of questions about its acceptance of “competing viewpoints.”Trade publication MedPage Today reported last Friday that at least three journals had received the letters. It did not identify the other two publications. On Wednesday, the New England Journal of Medicine confirmed to Forbes that it had also received such a letter. “We support the editorial independence of medical journals and their First Amendment rights to free expression,” Dr. Eric Rubin, NEJM’s editor-in-chief, said by email. Read more here. BIOTECH AND PHARMA Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is weighing the idea of pulling a recommendation for children to get Covid-19 vaccines, reports Politico. If he does that could be a problem for stopping the disease’s impact on children. Long Covid has turned out to be more widespread among children than previously thought, leading to chronic health problems, while Covid-19 has a higher mortality rate among children than other respiratory diseases such as influenza. The debate over whether children should receive the Covid-19 vaccine comes on the heels of stop-work orders on federal contracts with at least three biotech companies that are developing next-generation Covid vaccines. Plus: Genentech has entered into an agreement with Repertorie Immune Medicines to develop treatments for autoimmune disease. Repertoire will receive an upfront payment of $35 million and up to $730 million in additional milestone payments plus royalties. DIGITAL HEALTH AND AI Global communications firm Havas made a strategic investment in Ostro, an AI company for life sciences founded by Forbes 30 Under 30 alums Chase Feiger and Ahmed Elsayyad, as part of its previously announced $450 million investment in AI. Before this deal (the financial details of which were not disclosed), Ostro had raised a total of $56 million at a $250 million valuation. MEDTECH China’s restrictions on rare earths aren’t only a problem for electric vehicles–they also pose a big risk for medical equipment like MRI machines. These critical minerals go into permanent magnets that are used to operate motors, so they’re commonplace in diagnostic machines. Rare earths are used in other ways in healthcare, too. For example, gadolinium is used to produce a contrast fluid that is injected into patients before they receive a scan to help doctors more easily diagnose brain tumors. Plus: Biolinq, which is developing biosensors for precision health, announced a $100 million series C funding round. PUBLIC HEALTH AND HOSPITALS In Pennsylvania, Crozer Health hospitals are closing. Thousands of employees who work there received emails Monday morning that the system was shutting down despite months of efforts by parent company, Prospect Medical Holdings, to find a buyer. Meanwhile, the Providence health system, which controls 51 hospitals across the western United States, is freezing non-clinical hiring due to “economic headwinds.” DEAL OF THE WEEK Nourish, a telehealth platform that connects patients to registered dieticians, announced today that it has raised a $70 million series B round at an undisclosed valuation, bringing its total investment to $115 million. The company, founded by Forbes 30 under 30 alums Aidan Dewar, Stephanie Liu and Sam Perkins, aims to provide personalized nutrition support for patients suffering from chronic disease–for example, providing diet plans for those taking GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic. The company plans to use the new capital to develop new products and expand its network of dieticians. WHAT WE’RE READING A new approach to throttling what biologists call “jumping genes” might help treat diseases related to aging. Ireland has become a global hub of pharmaceutical manufacturing–now it’s bracing for the impact of the Trump Administration’s proposed tariffs. The Trump Administration has frozen billions of dollars of healthcare payouts pending manual reviews, creating huge backlogs of payments. New tariffs imposed by the federal government threaten to significantly impact the bottom lines of hospitals across the country. The Supreme Court appeared divided on the provision of the Affordable Care Act that provides free preventive care. The FDA suspended its quality control program for milk and other dairy products following workforce cuts. New research suggests that the vintage antibiotic streptomycin might serve as a treatment for metastatic cancer. The NIH is cutting off funding to the Women’s Health Initiative, one of the federal government’s biggest research programs into women’s health. MORE FROM FORBES

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Dave Blundin, James Currier, Rudina Seseri, Mark Gorenberg, and Mark MachinJohn Werner Engineers and entrepreneurs have a certain outlook on AI, but what about investors? These are the people who really have to gauge the marketability of projects and companies, against a very vibrant tapestry of quickly changing business realities. Everything is happening so quickly – new models and designs are outcompeting one another constantly. The big companies are coming up with dynamic applications and releases with big use cases. The kids are going to school to be innovators – or investors. And everyone else is looking on, trying to figure out what the world is going to look like in a couple of years. In that context, it makes sense to think about how the investors work, and what has changed in the last few years (because again, everything is changing at warp speed.) Venture Capital: Some Guidelines As I was researching the role of the VC in artificial intelligence investing, Microsoft copilot offered a few tips. The first is embracing AI for investment and operations – for things like portfolio management and analyzing colossal data sets. Another is to create a transparent and equitable ecosystem – promoting those principles of ethics and transparency that build trust. So – use cases plus trust. But VCs also have to strike fast, while the iron is hot. I could make an annealing joke, but in reality, that is another big principle of making sure that you’re succeeding in your game plan. The Regulatory Environment Then there’s also the compliance aspect of AI project and activities. “The SEC has introduced new rules aimed at increasing transparency and fairness in the VC ecosystem,” wrote Luis Sanchez last year, in a piece eventually published on LinkedIn. “These regulations require VC firms to disclose more information about their fees, expenses, and preferential terms offered to certain investors. While these changes are designed to protect investors, they also impose additional compliance burdens on VC firms, potentially complicating fundraising efforts and operational practices.” Sanchez clarifies: “One significant aspect of the new SEC rules is the emphasis on fair treatment of all investors, which could limit VC firms’ flexibility in offering preferential terms to anchor investors. This shift may level the playing field for smaller investors but could also deter large institutional investors, affecting the overall fundraising landscape. Furthermore, the new regulations will incentivize 409a valuations, ensuring that employees have a clearer understanding of the value of their option packages and preventing unethical accounting tricks that some VCs have employed in the past.” So all of this is critically important as well. Getting to the Growth Stage In a recent panel discussion on this exact topic, Dave Blundin Founder and General Partner at Link Ventures, interviewed a number of experts with their own significant experience in the AI world. The group talked about open source and community work, the need for VC to bet earlier and move faster, and on achieving the growth stage. “If companies scale that quickly, then they don't need the growth capital, because they're already becoming cash flow positive,” said James Currier, a founder of NFX and investor in projects like Lyft. Currier suggested VCs can look for a “slow burn” to get in on the action.Dave Blundin, James Currier and Rudina Seseri on the panelJohn Werner Rudina Seseri Founding and Managing Partner of Glasswing Ventures called the VC environment an “embarrassment of riches,” pointing to some of the saturation that exists in the markets, and discussed the work that model companies are doing with hyperscalers. “It’s no accident that Anthropic and AWS are together, that OpenAI and Microsoft are together, and yet differentiation is a challenge,” she said. The 10X Question I wanted to include this part, because it was very interesting as an anecdotal look at investing: Blundin asked: “A lot of people at CSAIL, here at MIT, are working on foundation model level innovation. If somebody comes to you and says, ‘I've got a breakthrough, it's a 10x - I can literally 10x what the transformers are doing at Anthropic, OpenAI, DeepSeek.’ Do you say, ‘Well, look, they just raised money (on a) $300 billion valuation. I don't care about your 10x - go work for them.’ Or do you say, ‘Wow, this is a 10x… could bypass all of that. could make the transformer irrelevant, we need (it.)?’” Seseri answered: “I don't invest in tech for the sake of tech,” she said. “What does your 10x do for which use case, or set of use cases … by vertical, by function, by industry? Let's talk about the impact. I came from Microsoft. If I were worried that Microsoft would own the world, I would never touch any facet, because at one point we were going to do everything.” More on Changes Mark Gorenberg, Managing Director of Zetta Venture Partners and Chair of the MIT Corporation, talked about the outcomes in the business world, in terms of new model advances. “This inference change is going to change two things. One, it's going to make real time applications and edge devices viable. So now I can run all this down at the edge. I can do applications that I could never do before, I can move to real robotics. So I'm opening up whole new markets with these inference changes.” The other contemplates the difference between building pre-2021, and building now. “This will become the decade of AI-native science,” he said.Mark Gorenberg on the panel Mark Gorenberg Mark Machin, formerly Vice Chair and the Head of Investment Banking for Asia Pacific for Goldman Sachs and while at CPPIB, Mark chaired its investment committees and oversaw more than $500B of investment, and founded Intrepid Growth Partners, agreed with some of the principles put forward by other panelists in evaluating how VC funding works right now. “You invest in a business, not a technology,”he said. “So it's a little bit easier (of a) question, because … it's got to have a business application. And what we're very focused on is, what are the unit economics of that? How is it actually creating value? We call it ROI, but … what's the prediction? What's it doing? How is it actually creating value for end customers? ... So if it's just a new model … new algorithmic improvement or architecture, that's fantastic for the world and many business applications, someone's going to turn it into a business.” Informal Talk on Investing Ecosystem Later, panelists talked freely about how some of the big players throw around big amounts of money, how big money “skews the brains” of young investors, and how to keep your eye on the ball. They talked about the big move from AI-enabled design to AI-native design: and that’s something that all of us are seeing right now. Other insights? Funds were small; now they’re very large. Everything’s hypercompetitive. And, on a different note: VC investing can be an attractive role. “It's a high-status job,” Currier noted. “It's pretty fun. You get to be the decider. You can’t tell if you're bad at it for about 14 years, there's not a lot of feedback…I think in 2022, like 8% of the HBS graduates went and took a job in venture capital, and that was unimaginable years ago … It's fun. Anybody can jump in. I think you're going to have corporations, they're going to want to have VCs. You're going to have towns, they're going to want to have VCs, because it's the responsible thing to do for economic growth and development. And so you can have a lot of people running around, taking salaries, doing what we’re doing - more and more.” Seseri, on the other hand, asked if VC is really a “misnomer” now. “I wish we had different labeling,” she said. Open Source or Closed Source? Toward the end of the panel, the group covered differences between open source and closed source models. This is a debate that is going on all over the tech world, with some concerned about the ramifications of releasing high-powered models to bad actors, and others wary of monolithic corporate dominance of new tech. “We’re clearly investing in both, but we've had huge success with open source,” Gorenberg said. “I mean, it just scales very quickly, it tends to match the times, and we've particularly been interested in companies that focus on the open source core, and don't try to create a commercial equivalent of that, and then build commercial products around it, because they can, they can own a huge community, and they can own it very quickly.” “Linux Red Hat,” Seseri added, quickly, and then the time was up. As I pointed out in the intro, part of the reason that these are big questions is that young people are deciding what they want to do now. In some ways, the world is their oyster. In other ways, the competitive aspect is so daunting. But looking at the investing environment should always give a young career pro a leg up.

Google Photos tests new tool to convert any image into Ultra HDR. Make your photos stand out on ... More social media.getty Google Photos Adds New Ultra HDR Conversion Feature Google Photos is testing a new Ultra HDR tool that can dramatically improve the look of your pictures, regardless of how they were created. As revealed by Android Authority, this feature converts standard images to Ultra HDR format to take full advantage of the extra color and brightness available from the latest HDR displays. Here’s how it works and what you need to know. At a glance Turns standard photos into Ultra HDR for more vibrant images Enhances any photos, artwork or AI images — perfect for social media Potential quality loss — keep your originals! Many recent smartphones shoot pictures in Ultra HDR format, which captures more colors and a much greater range of brightness than standard pictures. This adds punch and realism to a range of photos, especially those containing bright highlights such as fire, sunsets or shiny metallic objects. April 23 Update below: More information on how to prepare for the update and check to see if you have it. This article was originally published on April 21 Google Photos Ultra HDR Tool — Why Does It Matter? Google’s handy Ultra HDR conversion tool will be particularly useful for photographers and social media users who want to maximize the impact of their pictures. Converting an image to Ultra HDR will result in a more compelling picture, with brighter highlights and greater realism. It’s especially effective when posting on social media platforms like Instagram or Facebook, where Ultra HDR images can stand out from the crowd. Check out @gregbenzphotography on Instagram for some great examples of the impact you can achieve with Ultra HDR images. Until now, it has been difficult to create Ultra HDR imagery from scratch without professional tools. However, with this tool, you can add significant impact to any image you create, including digital artwork or AI-generated images that don’t typically support the Ultra HDR format. Google Photos Ultra HDR Tool — How Does It Work? The new Ultra HDR control will appear in the “Adjust” section whenever you edit an image with Google Photos, nestled between the Contrast and Tone functions. A simple slider controls the depth of the effect. If you see “HDR Effect” here instead of “Ultra HDR”, then your account hasn’t yet been upgraded. Google appears to be testing the feature on a limited number of accounts first, before rolling it out to all users. These two controls appear to have the same function at first glance, but they are radically different: The existing HDR Effect control improves the look of your images by enhancing shadows and highlights, but you still end up with a standard, non-HDR image. The new Ultra HDR control goes a step further by adding an invisible layer to your photo, called a gain map, which contains the additional brightness information needed to take advantage of HDR-capable screens. You’ll be able to see the effects on a variety of devices, including modern iPhones, Google Pixels, and Samsung Galaxy S-series devices, as well as compatible Macs and Windows PCs. Ultra HDR-compatible devices use this information to display your picture in its full HDR glory, while others simply ignore the gain map and display the standard version of the image. Android app specialist Assemble Debug has provided a pair of “before” and “after” images here for comparison purposes. If your device is capable of displaying Ultra HDR photos, you should see a marked difference between the two images. The Ultra HDR version should show brighter highlights and a more true-to-life appearance. How To Use Google Photos Ultra HDR conversion: Step-by-step Open the Google Photos app Tap Edit on the photo you want to enhance Navigate to the Adjust section. Find the Ultra HDR slider and adjust it to your desired level. Google Photos Ultra HDR Tool — Understanding HDR Covnersion It’s not clear at this point precisely how Google is performing the conversion to Ultra HDR. It’s possible to take any photo and simply “expand” the brightness range to fill the dynamic range of an HDR screen. This will make the brightest parts of the image brighter, but won’t deliver the same quality as a photo initially shot in Ultra HDR mode. Capturing a photo as a standard jpeg file without Ultra HDR “throws away” all the highlight detail needed to make the accurate gain map needed for that HDR magic. Google may be using AI to automatically infer these highlight details, but more experimentation is needed to verify this.Original SDR image (left) contains no HDR data. The converted Ultra HDR version on the right ... More contains additional gain map information. The histogram shows new data extending into the HDR region. Original photo by Assemble Debug.PAUL MONCKTON Google Photos Ultra HDR Tool — Image Quality Concerns An unexpected result of the conversion to Ultra HDR is that the new images are much smaller than the originals. Sample images show a reduction in size from 11 MB to just 2.8 MB after conversion, despite the addition of the required gain map data. This reduction in file size implies that using the Ultra HDR tools could potentially result in a loss of quality. This reduction in file size is unexpected because converting to Ultra HDR format would typically leave the base image untouched when adding the gain map. Always keep a copy of the original image to avoid any potential irreversible loss. The new Google Photos Ultra HDR editing tool is currently available to a select group of users, but I hope it will roll out to everyone soon. Have you tried the new Ultra HDR editing tool? Let me know in the comments below. April 23 Update: How To Prepare For Google Photos’ Ultra HDR upgrade Several users still don’t have the new Ultra HDR editing control, suggesting that Google is taking its time rolling out this feature. If you’re eager to try it out, make sure you’ve updated your Google Photos app to at least version 7.24.0.747539053 (version 7.25 is already out at the time of writing). This will make sure you’re ready to receive the new feature when Google turns it on on your account. To check to see if the feature is enabled, open any photo in Google Photos, tap Edit and look in the Adjust menu as mentioned above. If you see “HDR effect” in the menu, you still have the old version. Try adding Ultra HDR to non-photographic images for extra impact. For example simple text on a colored background can be made to “pop out” from the background in ways that are impossible without Ultra HDR. If you can’t wait for the Google Photos update, you can convert your images to Ultra HDR, using Adobe Photoshop and Web Sharp Pro. Remember, only devices that support Ultra HDR images can display your pictures in full Ultra HDR quality. The same goes for any other apps you use outside of Google Photos — they will have to offer support for Ultra HDR or your photos will lose the embedded Ultra HDR information and display as regular pictures without the HDR effect. Follow @paul_monckton on Instagram.

Apple iPhone 16 buyers have been treated to some huge discounts recently. Another one just landed.

In many countries, fossil fuels, with their exposure to imports and volatility to geopolitical shocks, are a liability.